Skip to main content
Georgia Standards

Georgia 12th Grade ELA Standards

All 105 Georgia English language arts standards for 12th grade, each explained in plain English. The official wording is in Georgia Department of Education's document, linked at the end of this page.

105 standards

Engagement & Intention for Comprehension & Composition

26 standards
Reader & Writer Identity
12.P.EICC.1.a
Set personal and school reading and writing goals, like finishing a senior research paper, then track, talk through and adjust them over time.
12.P.EICC.1.b
Talk or write about the genres, topics and author techniques they enjoy most as readers and writers, like a taste for satire or spare, plain prose.
12.P.EICC.1.c
Choose what to read and write based on personal interests that also tie into senior-year courses, like a self-chosen novel that fits a class theme.
12.P.EICC.1.d
Keep growing a set of go-to reading and writing moves, like margin notes or reverse outlining, and use whichever one a tough text or essay needs.
12.P.EICC.1.e
Help run the class reading and writing community, agreeing on group norms, talking texts through, sharing drafts, listening to classmates and exchanging feedback.
12.P.EICC.1.f
Work as an independent reader and writer, choosing texts, setting the pace and seeing projects through without step-by-step direction.
Engagement & Intention
12.P.EICC.2.a
Tell and interpret stories, real or imagined, to share experience, like a memoir about leaving for college or a short story set after graduation.
12.P.EICC.2.b
Lean on texts to gain knowledge, sharpen skills, decide wisely and share findings, like researching two career paths and writing a brief comparison.
12.P.EICC.2.c
Read and write explanations to learn and teach how something works, like a step-by-step guide to filling out a financial aid form.
12.P.EICC.2.d
Use reading and writing as tools for analysis, like drafting a critical essay that judges how well a novel or speech makes its case.
12.P.EICC.2.e
Write and analyze texts meant to solve real problems or change minds, like a letter urging the school board to adopt a later start time.
Comprehension Strategies
12.P.EICC.3.a
Decide what a reading is for and what to get from it, watch for confusion along the way, and switch approaches, like slowing down for a dense philosophical essay.
12.P.EICC.3.b
Preview a text by skimming its layout and scanning for the parts most worth close attention, like a study's abstract and results section.
12.P.EICC.3.c
Connect what they already know to a new text, resolve places where the two clash or leave gaps, and fold the new learning into that knowledge.
12.P.EICC.3.d
Summarize and picture key sections while reading, like recapping each act of a Shakespeare play, to keep the meaning clear.
12.P.EICC.3.e
Predict what events or information will come next while reading, then check and revise those predictions as the text unfolds.
12.P.EICC.3.f
Draw inferences about both the surface and deeper meanings of a text, keep track of them, and back each one with evidence from the text.
12.P.EICC.3.g
Decode unfamiliar words and concepts with help from context, word parts and academic vocabulary, like the Latin bene, meaning well, in benevolent.
Writing Processes
12.P.EICC.4.a
Before writing, decide on the purpose, set goals and name the intended readers, like an admissions committee for a college essay.
12.P.EICC.4.b
Map out a piece by settling on the form, genre and overall structure that suit its readers and goal, like a problem and solution layout for a proposal.
12.P.EICC.4.c
Gather ideas for writing by drawing on what is already known, researching sources and talking the topic through with others.
12.P.EICC.4.d
Match ideas and details to the outline, flagging the most relevant and persuasive points so they get the most attention.
12.P.EICC.4.e
Turn notes and ideas into a complete first draft, choosing wording, sentence patterns and stylistic techniques that will land with the intended readers and goal.
12.P.EICC.4.f
Step back from a draft, alone or with peer and teacher input, and decide whether it actually does what its purpose and goals require.
12.P.EICC.4.g
Rework a draft after self-assessment or outside feedback, reshaping its structure, ideas, details, word choice and craft so it works better.
12.P.EICC.4.h
Proofread and edit a draft so its grammar, spelling, punctuation and usage follow the rules of standard written English.

Situating Texts

6 standards
Context
12.P.ST.1.a
Figure out which background matters most for a text, like its era, place or culture, using prior knowledge, research and discussion.
12.P.ST.1.b
Weigh how the era, place and events around a text drive the writer's goals and why people read it, like a wartime speech.
12.P.ST.1.c
Examine how the surrounding context steers an author's decisions and an audience's reactions, applying this when reading others' work and drafting their own.
Author, Audience, & Purpose
12.P.ST.2.a
Size up the writer, audience and situation to work out what a text is meant to do, set a purpose for their own writing, and judge whether each one delivers.
12.P.ST.2.b
Read the author, audience and situation behind a text to name its point of view, and use the same insight to take a clear, original stance when writing.
12.P.ST.2.c
Learn how authors fit content, layout, wording and craft to their readers and setting, and use that insight to make the same choices when writing.

Author’s Craft

12 standards
Reading like a Writer
12.P.AC.1.a
Spot and analyze literary, informational and persuasive elements, like an appeal to emotion in an op-ed, judge how they work on readers, and use them too.
12.P.AC.1.b
Notice and analyze striking word choices in a text, judge how they affect readers and serve the purpose, and borrow those moves in their own work.
12.P.AC.1.c
Explain and evaluate the effect of an author's sentence patterns, like long periodic sentences or sharp fragments, on readers and on the text's purpose.
12.P.AC.1.d
Describe and assess a text's layout and structure, like its headings, sections or recurring patterns, explaining how they help readers and serve the purpose.
Writing like a Reader
12.P.AC.2.a
Blend story, information and persuasion in writing to reach chosen readers and goals, like opening a policy speech with a personal anecdote.
12.P.AC.2.b
Pick and polish words and phrases with a deliberate aim of steering readers' reactions and decisions, like loaded verbs in a persuasive letter.
12.P.AC.2.c
Make deliberate choices about sentence length and structure to suit readers and move them toward a goal, like a short sentence for emphasis.
12.P.AC.2.d
Arrange their own texts with layouts, structures and features, like subheadings, sidebars or a timeline, that guide readers and keep the text easy to use.
Text Design
12.P.AC.3.a
Explore and produce work in many modes and genres, like podcasts, infographics and essays, seeing how each form's features affect meaning, tone, style and audience.
12.P.AC.3.b
Recognize that each mode and genre calls for certain kinds of content, like data in a lab report and anecdotes in a memoir, and plan for it.
12.P.AC.3.c
Order content the way a genre or mode expects, like the inverted pyramid of a news story or a flashback in a film, and use those patterns when writing.
12.P.AC.3.d
Read and create multimodal texts that mix genres, features and craft, like a video essay with narration, images and captions, to reach set readers and goals.

Collaboration & Presentation

9 standards
Collaboration
12.P.CP.1.a
Come to group discussions and meetings having done the reading and prep work, ready to take an active part, like a senior project team check-in.
12.P.CP.1.b
Settle group norms, goals and a work plan with teammates, then help keep the shared project productive, like splitting tasks for a class documentary.
12.P.CP.1.c
Add to discussions and group projects by offering ideas, listening closely to what others suggest, and giving useful feedback.
12.P.CP.1.d
Work alongside classmates on discussions, investigations, problem solving and text projects, like a group research presentation.
Presentation
12.P.CP.2.a
Present ideas, information or texts with clear, well-organized delivery, like a senior project defense in front of a panel.
12.P.CP.2.b
Choose the mix of modes and genres that best suits the goal and listeners of a presentation, like slides and a short clip for a class talk.
12.P.CP.2.c
Change vocal tone, pacing, gestures and posture to suit the purpose and audience, like pausing before the key line of a graduation speech.
12.P.CP.2.d
Interact with listeners during a presentation by fielding their questions and asking some of their own back.
12.P.CP.2.e
Learn by heart and perform a notable poem or speech, whole or in excerpt, like a soliloquy from Hamlet, to deepen background knowledge.

Grammar Conventions

6 standards
Grammar, Usage, & Mechanics
12.L.GC.1
Use a firm command of English grammar, usage and punctuation rules to read texts critically and to write them, like spotting and fixing a dangling modifier.
Syntax
12.L.GC.2.a
Read a wide range of texts with an eye for how sentences are built, analyzing and judging their effect, including whether parallel structure is handled well.
12.L.GC.2.b
Vary and rework sentence patterns for style and impact in writing, without shifting verb tense, aspect or mood by accident.
12.L.GC.2.c
Keep to one voice, active or passive, from start to finish, choosing it to fit the purpose, readers and discipline, like the active voice of a news feature.
12.L.GC.2.d
Develop ideas more fully by adding details and description that serve the purpose and hold readers' interest.
12.L.GC.2.e
Build and refine parallel patterns that span paragraphs or whole sections, like repeated openings in a speech, so the writing feels balanced and ideas connect.

Vocabulary

10 standards
General, Academic, & Specialized Vocabulary
12.L.V.1.a
Pick up everyday, academic, subject, technical and workplace words from grade-level books, websites and media, like legal or economics terms.
12.L.V.1.b
Use precise everyday, academic, subject and professional words to communicate clearly, shifting style to fit the setting, like a job interview versus a class talk.
Word Analysis
12.L.V.2.a
Unpack unfamiliar words through their origins, prefixes, suffixes and Greek or Latin roots, like anachronism, built from Greek parts meaning against and time.
12.L.V.2.b
Use a word's role in its sentence, as noun, verb, adjective or adverb, to work out its meaning in context, like a noun being used as a verb.
12.L.V.2.c
Form new words from classical roots, prefixes and suffixes, like chronology from chron and logy, and use them correctly in context.
12.L.V.2.d
Draw on how nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs work to pick the most exact word when writing, like one strong verb in place of a weak verb and adverb.
Meaning & Purpose
12.L.V.3.b
Study how related words connect to sort out what they literally say and what they suggest, like the warmth of home next to the plain word house.
12.L.V.3.c
Compare words with the same dictionary meaning but different shades of feeling, like thrifty, frugal and stingy, and explain the difference.
12.L.V.3.d
Look up unclear or multiple-meaning words in dictionaries, style guides, online searches or built-in writing tools to pin down which sense is meant.
12.L.V.3.e
Choose the exact word when writing or speaking by checking print or digital references to sort out close synonyms, like imply versus infer.

Context

7 standards
Purposes & Audiences
12.T.C.1.a
Read a text with its purpose in mind, whether subject-based, personal or technical, like a lab report, a memoir or a user manual, to understand it better.
12.T.C.1.b
Evaluate how a writer's voice and tone change the way an audience takes a text, like a mocking tone that wins over some readers and alienates others.
12.T.C.1.c
Build and self-check a multimedia piece with several goals for one chosen audience, like a video that informs and persuades, using each mode's features clearly.
Authors & Speakers
12.T.C.2.a
Compare how several texts present different perspectives on one topic and analyze how each one frames its stance to shape what readers believe.
12.T.C.2.b
Trace doubtful claims, images or quotes back to where they first appeared to judge whether they are credible and valid, like a viral screenshot.
12.T.C.2.c
Judge how much an author's historical, field-based or personal viewpoint shapes their style and themes, like Wilfred Owen writing from the trenches.
12.T.C.2.d
Combine information from several credible sources, gathered while researching questions on school topics or personal interests, into one clear answer.

Structure & Style

7 standards
Organization
12.T.SS.1.a
Analyze and judge whether the way a text is organized works for its readers and purpose, like a timeline in a history article.
12.T.SS.1.b
Combine more than one organizational pattern in a single piece, like cause and effect inside a chronological account, to strengthen its main message.
12.T.SS.1.c
Lead readers through multimodal texts with varied transitions that fit the purpose, audience and design, like a voiceover linking two sections of a video.
12.T.SS.1.d
Write persuasive texts with an opening that sets the focus and stance, carefully placed facts, reasons and details to win readers over, and a strong ending.
Craft
12.T.SS.2.a
Analyze and judge how figurative, connotative or persuasive language builds meaning, tone or mood to fit a text's purpose, like the imagery in a Romantic poem.
12.T.SS.2.b
Create deliberate effects for a purpose and audience with tools like metaphor, allusion, rhetorical questions and appeals to logic, emotion or credibility.
12.T.SS.2.c
Sound like a confident, well-informed expert by holding a formal, authoritative tone throughout to build trust, as in a policy brief or scholarship essay.

Techniques

14 standards
Narrative Techniques
12.T.T.1.a
Weigh, with evidence from the texts, how authors across works handle archetypes, multiple narrators, plot shape and symbols, like the outcast in Beowulf and Frankenstein.
12.T.T.1.b
Set two or more storytellers side by side and judge how their plots, conflicts, word choice and storytelling tricks move readers, like Austen and Charlotte Brontë.
12.T.T.1.c
Trace one theme, like ambition in Macbeth and a modern novel, through passages in and across works, explaining with reasons and evidence how each author builds it.
12.T.T.1.d
Trace how works of literature recycle themes, plot shapes or character types from older eras, like a modern novel retelling a Shakespeare play.
12.T.T.1.e
Write stories with complex characters who change, settings that set the mood, and metaphors and symbols that carry a theme, to engage readers and meet a purpose.
Expository Techniques
12.T.T.2.a
Critique how informational texts are organized and explained, judging how clear the information is and how that affects readers.
12.T.T.2.b
Examine sources that contradict each other or argue opposite sides and pin down whether the dispute is over facts or over interpretation.
12.T.T.2.d
Write a unified informational text that shows how ideas connect, mixes kinds of information and text structures, and adjusts tone for different readers.
Argumentative Techniques
12.T.T.3.a
Read, talk through and critique arguments of many kinds, judging how persuasive strategies and presentation affect the main claim, like a campaign speech.
12.T.T.3.b
Judge how well persuasive wording works in various texts, like loaded words, rhetorical questions and repetition in a political speech.
12.T.T.3.c
Use argument techniques on purpose, like answering a counterclaim or building to the strongest reason, to sharpen writing and hold readers.
12.T.T.3.d
Layer more than one rhetorical device or appeal in a single argument on purpose, like pairing hard data with a moving personal story.
Poetic Techniques
12.T.T.4.a
Discuss and critique many kinds of poems, judging how meter, imagery, sound and form shape their meaning or theme, like a Keats ode or a sonnet.
12.T.T.4.b
Write original poems that serve a set purpose, drawing on poetic forms and techniques, like a Shakespearean sonnet with its closing couplet.

Research & Analysis

6 standards
Research & Inquiry
12.T.RA.1.a
Pose research questions that steer an inquiry, link complex topics, invite creative solutions, tighten the focus or improve a draft, like a senior thesis question.
12.T.RA.1.b
Pull information from several credible sources together to support one central thesis, citing each source correctly.
12.T.RA.1.c
Work quotes, paraphrases and summaries smoothly into original writing so they strengthen it, with MLA or APA citations for every borrowed idea.
Curating Sources & Evidence
12.T.RA.2.a
Hunt for relevant material on an argument, topic or question using reliable books, websites and scholarly databases, like a library's research portal.
12.T.RA.2.b
Test sources against each other, flagging misconceptions, clashing facts or views and author bias, and confirm the information is valid, relevant and accurate.
12.T.RA.2.c
Follow MLA or APA style when quoting and citing text evidence or answering inference questions, and list every source on a works cited page.

Periods & Movements

2 standards
12.T.PM.1.a
Compare and contrast writers and artists from the same movement and era, like the Romantic poets and painters of early 1800s England.
12.T.PM.1.b
Weigh the major authors and works of three British and American literary periods against each other, like Renaissance, Romantic and Modern, by theme and style.

The official Georgia documents

The plain-English lines on this page are EMStudio's own explanations of Georgia's standards, not the official wording, which Georgia Department of Education publishes in the documents above. Codes and strand names identify each standard.